What are those big floating things outside IF and Stormwind?

[That Guy]

The floating structures that have large crystals hanging from them--what are
they?

[Urbin]

Post by That Guy
The floating structures that have large crystals hanging from them--what are
they?

They are part of the Scourge invasion, a world event that came with the
introduction of Naraxxas (sp?), the new raid instance. I think they are
called 'Necropolis'. They not only appear outside the captial cities but
also around the world (mostly I believe in EPL, Tanaris, WS, BS, maybe some
more).

They spawn a crystal on the ground and send down undead. Everytime you kill
an undead, the life of the crystal decreases some. When it's dead, the
necropolis also disappears (they will respawn at a random location some time
later).

Once 150 necropolises have been destroyed on a server, the invasion stops
(happened a week ago on my server).

Killing these spawns not only gets you AD reputation, they also drop some
runes that can be turned in with AD (either in the EPL or the captial
cities) for rewards.

I am not sure about the invaders to the capital cities, but those out in the
zones are lvl 60, so unless you are close to that level range, the event
will most likely not bring you much.

Cheers
Urbin

[steve.kaye]

Post by Urbin
I am not sure about the invaders to the capital cities, but those out in the
zones are lvl 60, so unless you are close to that level range, the event
will most likely not bring you much.

The invaders outside of the capitals are about level 10.

steve.kaye

[Peter Knutsen (usenet)]

Post by steve.kaye

Post by Urbin
I am not sure about the invaders to the capital cities, but those out in the
zones are lvl 60, so unless you are close to that level range, the event
will most likely not bring you much.

The invaders outside of the capitals are about level 10.

In some places they are lower level, like 6 to 7.

[Catriona R]

Post by Urbin
They are part of the Scourge invasion, a world event that came with the
introduction of Naraxxas (sp?), the new raid instance. I think they are
called 'Necropolis'. They not only appear outside the captial cities but
also around the world (mostly I believe in EPL, Tanaris, WS, BS, maybe some
more).

EPL, Burning Steppes, Blasted Lands, Tanaris, Azshara and Winterspring if I
remember rightly.

Post by Urbin
They spawn a crystal on the ground and send down undead. Everytime you kill
an undead, the life of the crystal decreases some. When it's dead, the
necropolis also disappears (they will respawn at a random location some time
later).
Once 150 necropolises have been destroyed on a server, the invasion stops
(happened a week ago on my server).

Just finished on mine a few days ago - typical, as my priest had just got
high enough level to get the quest to go to EPL when it ended before I had
a chance to go. If it'd gone on a few days longer I might've been able to
bug a lvl 60 friend to kill a few with me grouped nearby to get some runes
(no chance of me killing them myself at lvl 52-53 ;-))

Post by Urbin
Killing these spawns not only gets you AD reputation, they also drop some
runes that can be turned in with AD (either in the EPL or the captial
cities) for rewards.

Yep, the Argent Dawn tabard is one of the rewards and a very popular
fashion item - I love the one my rogue has as it's proper black, while my
guild's black tabard is a bit greyish in comparison.

Post by Urbin
I am not sure about the invaders to the capital cities, but those out in the
zones are lvl 60, so unless you are close to that level range, the event
will most likely not bring you much.

In the cities the elites are 60 but the ordinary mobs are 53-54 generally -
I helped the guards kill a few and even got credit for a couple - +5 argent
dawn rep before I was even high enough level to get the commission rinket
:-)

Also after a city invasion is beaten a crystal thing will spawn for a bit,
which gives a quest that seems available to anyone, so if you're too low to
do anything against the invaders wait for the crystal and get the quest
from that - you just have to take it to another guy nearby and you get a
choice of a buff to spell damage or attack power against undead. My lvl 43
mage has a buff v undead which isn't usable until lvl 50, just through
being in the right place at the right time ;-)

Oh yeah, and make sure to talk to the AD guys in the cities, no matter your
level; even after the event is over there's people who give "mark of the
dawn" stamina buffs out, which are pretty nice to get for freel :-)

[Nikolas Landauer]

Catriona pretty much answered everything, but my tech writer soul
demands I respond. :D

Post by Urbin

Post by That Guy
The floating structures that have large crystals hanging from
them--what are they?

They are part of the Scourge invasion, a world event that
came with the introduction of Naraxxas (sp?),

Naxxramas, where Tier 3 gear can be found.

Post by Urbin
the new raid instance. I think they are called 'Necropolis'.

One is called a necropolis. There are now several accepted plurals of
the word: the Anglicized 'necropolises', plus the various Latin or
Latin-ish plural forms: 'necropoleis' ("neh-KROP-oh-lays"),
'necropoles' ("neh-KROP-oh-lees") and 'necropoli' ("neh-KROP-oh-lye").
I forget which the AD people use when referring to how many your server
has downed.

Post by Urbin
They spawn a crystal on the ground and send down undead.
Everytime you kill an undead, the life of the crystal
decreases some.

I believe that once the crystal is low enough, it also spawns a Shadow
of Doom, a 60 elite undead mob (who you can pick up a quest to defeat
beforehand). Once that's dead, you can beat directly on the crystal.
(I haven't done this yet; I'm only 56, and don't have a large enough
Guild with enough 60s to attack a crystal all together.)

[Brian]

"Bother!", said Pooh, as he read Nikolas Landauer's latest post to
alt.games.warcraft.

Post by Nikolas Landauer

Post by Urbin
They spawn a crystal on the ground and send down undead.
Everytime you kill an undead, the life of the crystal
decreases some.

I believe that once the crystal is low enough, it also spawns a Shadow
of Doom, a 60 elite undead mob (who you can pick up a quest to defeat
beforehand). Once that's dead, you can beat directly on the crystal.
(I haven't done this yet; I'm only 56, and don't have a large enough
Guild with enough 60s to attack a crystal all together.)

Given that I've personally destroyed like 15 crystals....

A Necrotic Shard begins life at 100%, and surrounded by non-elite level 60
Scourge. At no point during the life of a Shard can it be attacked
directly.

Phase one of destroying a crystal is just killing lots of Scourge. Takes
well over 100 mobs to fully destroy the crystal, I would guess. I've never
kept exact count, since I tend to pull them 4-5 at a time.

Once the crystal is brought to 0%, it is destroyed, and a Damaged Necrotic
Shard is raised up in its place. The 60 non-elite Scourge continue to
respawn at the same rate. There are also 4 Cultist Engineers channelling a
spell on the shard.

It's still possible to destroy the shard just by killing the non-elites,
but this will take *much* longer the second time around. The real way to
destroy it the second time is to disrupt and slay the Engineers.

You will need 8 Necrotic Runes (dropped by all the non-elites surrounding
the shard, you'll have plenty by now if you started with a clean shard).
Talk to the Cultist Engineer and you'll be given a gossip option to disrupt
his ritual. This will spawn a 60-elite Shadow of Doom. Fairly high HP,
chain-fears like a Warlock, Mind Flay like a shadowpriest. Also drops 30
Necrotic Runes, a Corruptor's Scourgestone, and a chance at a blue
chestpiece with +81 atk against undead.

When the fourth Shadow is slain, the Damaged Necrotic Shard is destroyed.
Everyone in close range to it gains Soul Revival, a +10% damage buff for
half an hour. If that was the last Shard in that zone at the time, the
Necropolis is also destroyed, and the server gets one battle closer to
ending the invasion.

Brian

[Nikolas Landauer]

Post by Brian
"Bother!", said Pooh, as he read Nikolas Landauer's
latest post to alt.games.warcraft.

Post by Nikolas Landauer

Post by Urbin
They spawn a crystal on the ground and send down
undead. Everytime you kill an undead, the life of
the crystal decreases some.

I believe that once the crystal is low enough, it
also spawns a Shadow of Doom, a 60 elite
undead mob (who you can pick up a quest to
defeat beforehand). Once that's dead, you can
beat directly on the crystal. (I haven't done this
yet; I'm only 56, and don't have a large enough
Guild with enough 60s to attack a crystal all
together.)

Given that I've personally destroyed like 15 crystals....
A Necrotic Shard begins life at 100%, and surrounded
by non-elite level 60 Scourge. At no point during the
life of a Shard can it be attacked directly.

Mea culpa, then. I was mistaken. Thanks for the more detailed
write-up on it.